Energy company SSE has opened its first ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging hub in Ireland.

The site can accommodate electric heavy goods vehicles as well as standard EVs

The 10-bay facility is located just off the M4 at Lough Sheever Corporate Park in Mullingar, County Westmeath, supporting the country’s transition to sustainable transportation.

Each ultra-rapid bay has charging capabilities of up to 150kW and the site is equipped with four long wheelbase drive-through bays purpose built for eHGVs.

Customers can make Tap’n’Go payments and can also use Octopus Electroverse to pay for their charging easily and quickly under a roaming payment partnership.

Demand for EV charging infrastructure in Ireland is fast-growing, as indicated by the launch of the National EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy in January 2023, and the recent publication of the draft National En-Route EV Charging Plan.

Officially opening the site, Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke commented: “To reduce transport emissions and meet our climate targets, the Government is committed to promoting and incentivising the use of EVs. Private investment like this is essential to grow the network with the pace and scale required to meet Ireland’s ambitious targets.”

The hub forms part of SSE plans to build 300 ultra-rapid EV charging hubs in the UK and Ireland in the next five years. Several sites are already open and more under construction. In Ireland, new hubs are due to open in Blanchardstown Business Park, Greenogue Industrial Estate (both County Dublin), and Ashbourne Retail Park (County Meath) in the coming months.

SSE has also inked a deal with TotalEnergies to establish a new major player in EV charging infrastructure in the UK and Ireland. The joint venture, dubbed Source, will deploy up to 3,000 ultra-rapid charge points across both countries over the next five years. All existing SSE charging hubs will eventually rebrand as Source.

Sean O’Callaghan, SSE’s EV operations director, said: “With the number of EVs on Irish roads growing quickly, the deployment of fast and reliable EV charging infrastructure is essential. The launch of our first ultra-rapid charging hub in Ireland is proof that SSE will support the Irish Government’s ambitions to meet the demand for this infrastructure and this is just the beginning of our ambitions. We are working to build a network of easy-to-reach charging points that will serve communities across Ireland.”